Diversity and antimicrobial potential of endophytic fungi from Egyptian desert medicinal plants.

Authors

Tereza Ježková, Mo'men Hamed El-Katatny, Mohamed A Mawhoup, Usama Ramadan Abdelmohsen

Published in

Folia microbiologica. Jul 29, 2026. Epub Jul 29, 2026.

Abstract

Fungal endophytes from desert medicinal plants represent a promising yet underexplored source of bioactive secondary metabolites. In this study, 33 ascomycetous endophytes were isolated from five desert medicinal plant species collected in Egypt: Thymelaea hirsuta (L.) Endl., Zygophyllum album L.f., Zygophyllum coccineum L., Asparagus horridus L., and Asphodelus ramosus L. Molecular analyses revealed several species with potential thermotolerance or plant-growth-promoting capabilities, suggesting that they may contribute to host resilience in harsh arid environments. Ethyl acetate extracts of 29 isolates were screened for their antimicrobial activities against Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, and Candida albicans. Several strains exhibited notable inhibitory effects. In particular, Canariomyces notabilis (GenBank accession nos. PZ502997, PZ530688) and Taifanglania parvispora (GenBank accession nos. PZ503016, PZ530694) displayed pronounced antimicrobial activity. Taifanglania parvispora CCF 6980 exhibited the strongest activity against MRSA (28 mm inhibition zone), whereas Canariomyces notabilis CCF 6973 showed broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity, producing inhibition zones of 20-31 mm, with the highest activity observed against Candida albicans. These findings highlight their potential for further investigation, especially as their secondary metabolites remain uncharacterised. Overall, this study expands the known diversity of fungal endophytes associated with Egyptian desert medicinal plants and highlights several taxa as potential sources of novel antimicrobial compounds.

PMID:
42525350
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 29 Jul 2026.

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